The Knights of the Rainbow Heart: The Challenges of Childhood
by Lisalynd Writer of Many Names
Summary: There's the loner, the emo, the nerd, the prankster, the henchman, and, of course, the boss. But what if they no longer want to be perceived through those childhood labels? For the new secret society of the Knights of the Rainbow Heart, that is no easy challenge to accept...
1. Getting to Know Each Other

_**Here we are already! o: The second book of the series: the**_ _ **Knights of the Rainbow Heart!**_ _**:D I can't believe it. Can you?**_

 _ **Oh! How do you like my portrait of the witty Richard? ;) Drew it myself, just like I did with Prince Artorius. Hope it's how you imagined him. I'm kinda torn between drawing Lancelot and John for the third book cover, since I like to plan ahead, and drawings these portraits take time. Will you guys let me know which one you'd prefer in this chapter's Reviews please?**_

 _ **I'm getting ahead of myself. Ready to dive into the second book? Well, ready or not, here we go! ;D**_

* * *

Emeric de Mousquetaire's P.O.V.

* * *

"Well then, fellow Knights of the Rainbow Heart," beamed John Hawkwood. "Now what?"

"I don't really want to face those knights I sent out any time soon," shivered Prince Artorius. "All the knights in Avalon are gonna hate me… And after facing those pages and squires, I don't think the next generation will be any different..."

"We've got your back Art!" Lancelot patted him heartily on the back. "Ain't that right John?"

"You betcha!" nodded John. "Even if it does ruin our popularity in the dormitory, I think this group is _way_ better. You can finally be yourself instead of following the crowd..."

"I'm sure there's a lot of good in you John," I wagered. "You've just been following the wrong crowd for far too long. I'm sure you have your reasons for acting the way you do too Lancelot, even though they _are_ sometimes unbearable..."

"Heh heh… Yeah right! It's not like I'm hiding something at all, right Johnny boy?" nervously chuckled Lancelot, nugging John.

For once, John didn't back him up. He simply stared at him suspiciously as the rest of us did.

"Please stop doing that to me guys!" Lancelot begged until he finally cracked. "Fine! I'll tell you!"

"You're terrible at lying Lancelot," Edward observed.

"Well, better to be an honest man than a lying cheat," compared Richard.

"Just let him talk!" silenced John.

Lancelot let out a huge sigh. "I've been secretly threatened to do all those pranks, okay? I used to find my end of the bargain reasonable since I've always been a bit of a prankster and a joker in the first place, but the biggies are not my ideas, like the one with you Art. I'm regretting that more than anything now... The deal was, I get all the credit, the fame, popularity, and so forth, in return for their praise and support. When I finally drew the line by refusing to do that prank on the Prince of Avalon here, they threatened to pound me if I didn't! I'm so sorry Art."

"Hold on a second," paused John. "And you never told me this?! This is huge! I would have gone straight up to those people and punched their faces for making me follow all those wrongdoings!"

"That wouldn't be such a wise idea," warned Lancelot. "All the pages and squires are in on it."

Lancelot hid his head in his arms and legs. I wasn't sure, but I think he was actually starting to whimper and cry.

"Well, at least you have your parents to support you," comforted Artorius, patting Lancelot on the back in turn. "Mine are always too busy with their 'royal duties' to care about me..."

Lancelot sighed. "Yeah…"

At the word 'parents', I went back to my suitcase and finally found what I was looking for: a photograph of my mother and father hugging me along with our family of dogs and our once beautiful mansion in the background.

All our workers were furious at us for giving them each low salaries, when we were struggling to keep up ourselves. We did all we could to help them cultivate the best of the land, maintain the mansion, put food on their plates, even share rooms with them. But it didn't seem to be enough for them. They wanted those gold coins so badly, they discarded our true payment of gratitude and necessities. They tore down our mansion brick by brick and set all those antiques passed on through generations on fire. I couldn't believe what they were doing after all we tried to do to support them. Now, my parents are on the run from them and the tax collectors, while the parents of those families are unemployed.

I remember playing tag with a few of the children of our workers in the corn fields. Unlike other households, we didn't care about our last name or who we hung out with. My father ran away with my mother for that very reason: because she was considered a peasant in his family of aristocrats. Even though I wasn't into drama and romance, I could identify it when I saw it.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Richard asked me, curious.

"Huh? Oh. No. I didn't find it..." I slipped the picture back into the pocket I found it in.

* * *

Edward's P.O.V.

* * *

Emeric turned to me. "So, how about you Edward? Any struggles you've had to deal with on your own? If you share, it might lighten the burden."

Finally! For once in my life, I can loosen up a bit!

I slouched. "I know it's not right to complain, but where to begin?!"

"Who told you that?" inquired Lancelot.

Richard took a guess. "I'm assuming… your father? Why is he so difficult with you?"

I shrugged. "It's always been that way since my mother died when I was born..."

"Oh. I'm so sorry Edward..." apologized Emeric.

"Not your fault. It's mine. I'm the failure of the family. My father never even revealed to me my last name because he saw me as unworthy of the family name! He definitely didn't hide his disappointment in me. If he had a choice on who could have died, he would have chosen my mother to live," I revealed with a heavy heart.

"No way are you a failure Edward!" Artorius encouraged. "Look at you now! You've probably got the best traveling benefits being my advisor, many servants envy your job, which is probably why they're pretending it's no big deal, and most of all, you're in a secret society with people that care and look out for you!"

"You mean the Knights of the Rainbow Heart? It's nothing important we'll get recognition in," I underestimated, but for some reason, I ended up smiling!

"Okay. I take that back when I said magic doesn't exist," surrendered Richard. "I don't what could cause my miserable roommate to smile!"

We all laughed uncontrollably at that. Though I didn't understand _what_ or _why_ I was laughing… It wasn't _that_ funny.

"Well, I guess it's my turn to admit something," Richard finally said in turn once he stopped laughing.

"And what's that?" wondered Artorius.

"I hate these glasses!" Richard ripped them off his face and threw them hard on the ground.

"So? You look smart in them," complimented Emeric.

Richard's eyes seemed like thin slots now compared to when he had his glasses on. I could no longer see his intelligent sapphire blue eyes that reflected the world around him.

"And I get assumed that I am!" squinted Richard. "I'm not a know-it-all. I'm only ten for crying out loud! When people realize I'm not that witty, I end up being a good-for-nothing loser with glasses! But I don't have a choice with those things. I can't see a thing without them..."

He kneeled down in search for them. He kept feeling around them, but never actually found them on his own. I couldn't stand seeing him so blind! If he were attacked from behind at any moment, he wouldn't see it coming. I carefully dusted the dirt on the glasses, then placed them back on his face.

"Thanks... Guess you're not as cold-hearted as I thought..."

"I only did it because you're my roommate," I covered up, then realized I was blushing slightly.

"You've just gotta let go about your past and move on Edward. Your father won't be here forever! You can control your own life. It's not his," persuaded Emeric. "That saying helped me a lot..."

"What _is_ your past?" pried Lancelot. "You secretly came down a long line of wizards?"

"Ugh! No! I thought we went over this! I'm _not_ a wizard!" exclaimed Emeric who went to his suitcase.

"Then what's your problem?" asked John. "Let's face it. I don't think anyone here is problem-free."

He sighed, and took out to show us what he was looking for the entire time: a picture with a shiny haze to it.

"That's my family, and my home, at least, it used to be..." Emeric stared off into the distance. "We tried everything we could to keep everyone happy… We gave them meals, a roof above their heads, helped them with their work, I even shared clothes. In the end, it wasn't enough. They wanted to see the money, so did the tax collectors, so they rioted and destroyed the whole property..."

Emeric put the picture back where he found it gloomily. "But the past doesn't matter anymore. Now I'm here with the Knights of the Rainbow Heart!"

Saying that immediately cheered him up. That name seemed to have some type of spell on it, making whoever said it smile at the very least.

"Group hug!" John cried gaily, bringing us all together for a hug.

"Help! I'm choking!" coughed Lancelot.

"Oops… Sorry." John immediately let go.

After a long, awkward silence, Richard asked, "So, now what?"

Emeric planned ahead. "I'd say prepare for survival. We've got to be ready for whatever comes at us, no matter how long we'll be hiding here."

 _He's right… We've got to keep ourselves busy before boredom gets the best of us,_ I rationalized. _Let's just hope we'll be ready for whatever we'll face..._


	2. Wyrd Survival

_**Hey there readers out there! a:**_

 _ **Ever gone out camping or hunting? I remember my first experience was miserable. Camping in a temperate rainforest, of course it was raining cats and dogs. I ended up doing Biology homework inside my tent the whole time. Yeah. That was fun. l:**_

 _ **Feel free to tell your experiences camping, hunting, birdwatching, hiking or anything involving survival outdoors in the reviews of this chapter, because that's what this chapter is all about! ;D Well, sort of…**_

 ** _P. S. I have no regrets writing this chapter. Well, except on Richard's part... Sorry to put you through this Richard xd Just, don't make me regret it too much this chapter's reviews._**

* * *

Prince Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

Everything going on here was definitely out of my comfort zone. I've never learned main priorities when it came to survival. It's ironic how much a prince learns, and out of all of them, the basic survival skills aren't included in that large package. I realize now that my education is not a necessity compared to the basics of survival. I felt… lost. I didn't seem to be the only one. Everyone seemed out of place. Well, all except for Emeric who was heading back into the woods.

"Um… Aren't you guys gonna scout for shelter and food as well?" he assumed blindly.

"Emeric! We've all grown up in a castle! If not our entire lives, we've resided in something close to that. We're not wild animals!" burst out Edward, refusing to budge.

"Plus, I need to go…" Richard admitted, embarrassed.

We all slapped our heads. Now was _the_ _worst_ timing for that.

"Just dig a hole behind a bush, do what you have to do, then cover it up," Emeric impatiently guided.

"Ew! No way!" cried a disgusted Richard.

"Yeah Emeric, that's just gross. You didn't come up with that just now, did you?" questioned a grossed out John.

Emeric shrugged it off. "No. I wouldn't even if I could. My father and I just went on hunts that would last days, so…"

"How about he just go back to the castle through that secret entrance I dug out?" interrupted Lancelot before Emeric could disgust us any further.

"But that's connected to our dorm which is connected to the boys' dormitory! I don't think Richard wants to pee in his pants there," reasoned John.

"I think we should avoid going to the castle altogether," Edward decided.

"Yeah. A maid told me to keep an eye out for you and Richard since you missed breakfast in the servants' hall," I informed them. "They'll be expecting you and wanting to know what happened, along with the whole 'prince hanged the innocent Emeric' rumour."

"Well, I am _not_ doing what Emeric suggested!" refused Richard, antsy. "There's gotta be a restroom _somewhere!"_

I thought for a moment, then an idea hit me. "Oh! How about the outfitters? They have one!"

"Yeah, but you have to be a customer of theirs…" Richard sighed, then realized where I was going with this. "Oh! Take me there please!"

"Anyone else?" I offered.

No one else raised their hand.

"Ugh! Let's go already! I don't know how much longer I can hold it!" Richard rushed.

"We'll cover up that hole in the wall with bramble," Emeric apprised.

"We'll come back soon!" I waved back at my newfound friends.

* * *

Richard's P.O.V.

* * *

 _This is soooo embarrassing! In front of our new group of friends too!_ _Way to make a fool of yourself Richard…_

Artorius actually seemed to be relieved to be out of the Wyrd. Sure those woods were creepy beyond anything else, but it seemed like such a big deal to him, I believed the must have been something more to it…

Artorius was heartily welcomed as usual, and everyone bowed in his presence. For once, he seemed uncomfortable with that, but I didn't come here to ponder. I had to go!

I easily slipped through since all the attention was directed towards the Prince. Once relieved, I saw Artorius standing on a stool, being measured. He didn't seem too pleased.

"Now I remember why I hate this place…" grumbled Artorius under his breath. "I can't stand dressing up and standing still!"

"You've grown since the last time I measured you!" exclaimed the tailor. "I've got just the thing for you! It will need some minor adjustments though... Don't worry about paying! The King already payed the fees."

The tailor went in the sewing room to get an outfit.

I tried pushing Artorius off the stool. "Let's go!"

"I can't," he sighed, staying put. "The King paid this man who's been expecting me. I can't just walk out on him!"

I sat down in a corner. _This is gonna take awhile…_

* * *

Edward's P.O.V.

* * *

"Should we split up and look for berries?" Emeric suggested after we covered up the gap in the stone wall.

"You're the only one that seems to know your way around the place," observed John.

I agreed. "Yeah. You know more about survival than the rest of us!"

Emeric smiled. "It's not that hard. It can actually be a lot of fun!"

"How?" Lancelot found it hard to believe. "We're stuck here with no room service or anything!"

Emeric rolled his eyes. "You guys ought to rough it more often. We can make this search for food like a scavenger hunt!"

He turned to one of the first pages in his book. The title of the pages were 'Edible Forest Plants Parts'. Though his writing wasn't exactly legible, having ink spatters and all, it wasn't necessary since the drawings were pretty clear. I peeked on the flip side of the final page he showed us. There were some odd pictures with some fruits that looked fine to eat, until I realized it was titled 'Poisonous Forest Foods''. I immediately stopped peeking. I didn't want to mix up the edible with the poisonous!

 _How did he differentiate between good and bad?_ _Did he test it on some animals? Not likely coming from him. But he would be dead by now he he tested them on himself! His father must have told him. Wish my father spent some quality time with me like those two did…_

Lancelot made up the rules for the scavenger hunt. "Okay. I'll make my path with fallen leaves, John can come back by following his trail of broken branches, and Edward can use some small granite pebbles that came off the wall. I think Emeric can handle himself. First to come back with a handful of edible foods runs back here and wins!"

"Wins what?" I questioned. "This won't work. There are stones, leaves, and broken branches all over the forest! Plus, I can't remember everything that's edible. I need a reference to look back on as well as a guide. That's how it goes whenever I travel."

"Edward brings up some good points," agreed John. "The last thing I want is to get lost in the Wyrd! Just don't sprint ahead, alright Emeric?"

"Aw! But it's fun!" whined Emeric. "You guys are as slow as banana slugs!"

"If he runs the way he does in the castle, we should be able to keep up," I presumed, temporarily forgetting how fast he was searching for berries earlier.

"Great!" Emeric sped into the forest and disappeared into the darkness in a flash.

Once again, I was shocked by how much faster he was here rather than in the halls of the palace. John and Lancelot gave me looks of disapproval.

 _Maybe it's the fresh air?_ I knew that being outdoors affected people differently, but never to the extent of incredible speed!

"Hey guys! I found some rare white truffles! These things cost a fortune on the market!" exclaimed Emeric's from behind us a minute later.

"Are you sure you're not a truffle hunting pig?" Lancelot teased.

"Yeah. You took forever!" I joked sarcastically, secretly envying his special abilities.

"Don't listen to them. They're just jealous they can't find these things themselves," lightened up John.

"Well, I know where the good spots are," hesitated Emeric. "I guess I could show you guys. Just don't pick more than you can eat. This isn't just our forest…"


	3. How to Lighten Things Up

_**Yay! More outdoorsy stuff! :D**_

 _ **You probably wondered from my last Author's Note: Were all my camping trips that bad as my first one? Does Lisalynd hate camping?**_

 _ **The answer is no. The rest of my camping trips weren't as bad. I actually enjoy going outdoors, even when it's raining most of the time. I'd rather go out than stay cooped up inside having nothing better to do other than write. Don't get me wrong, I love writing stories like this, but I'd prefer to spend my time outdoors when I get the chance.**_

 _ **Also, since Emeric is based of my father, he used to watch my grandfather on the hunt, so that's pretty cool. Just thought I'd share that.**_

 _ **Time to read! :D**_

* * *

Lancelot's P.O.V.

* * *

 _A treasure hunt like I planned would have been more fun,_ I demurred as I found some berries under a bush. _Still, this isn't so bad…_

Emeric prevented me from eating the berries I picked. "Lancelot! Don't eat those! They're yew berries!"

"So? They're abundant! This is enough for all of us!" I argued, picking some more.

"Fine then, if you want to choke to your death with its poisonous seeds, I won't stop you." With that, he turned around to check on the others.

"Wait. What?!" I immediately dropped the red berries I picked.

Some of those berries got squished in my hand, and I struggled to scrape it off. All the berries in my hand ended up getting stuck to it thanks to those few that simply burst under pressure underneath! I waited for the sticky berries to drip down, but I think their juices only got firmer and stickier. I tried shaking it off, but that didn't work either.

"Get this poison glop off my hands!"

The others burst out laughing.

"Guys! Help! I think my hands are turning red!" I panicked, wide-eyed, still trying to shake those cursed berries off my hand.

"You're such a jester Lancelot," giggled John. "Your hands aren't turning red, that's just the berry sap!"

After Emeric got himself back under control he took a leaf off a tree and headed towards me.

"Don't rub it off with poison ivy!" I feared. "That'll just make matters worse!"

"Relax! It's just a maple leaf!" he hushed. "You can just wipe it off with this like with a cloth."

He handed the leaf to me. I hesitated. He _did_ prank me back quite a number of times around these parts, so I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. Though he didn't seem like the type to kid about nature-related matters. I snatched the leaf out of his offering hand, and found a nearby puddle, trying to rinse my hands with that muddy water. It wasn't a complete success, but I thought it was better to have dirty hands rather than sticky ones.

"Can I see that berry page again?" interrogated Edward, looking at a rather large jumble of branches. "I just want to check to see if this is a Mountain Ash. If it is, I could pick its berries."

"Sure!" Emeric headed towards him and pointed out the image.

 _Why don't we pages learn this stuff?! This is_ way _more useful than learning table manners!_

Our group members didn't branch out too far from each other. We stayed in a perimeter where we could still see one another. Being the youngest, I felt like I was the most vulnerable. I mean, I knew nothing about survival skills, and someday, I'd have to camp in places like these if I'd ever travel, which was my dream. I tried my best to look fierce, but that was hard when you're in the middle of the most haunted place in Avalon! I never felt my one year age difference from John until now when he laughed at me…

I remembered all those times we laughed _together_ at someone else, most of the time at Emeric. The pranks we schemed together, the looks of horror on our victims' faces, and all the time we've actually put in preparations for that one moment where it would all fall into place.

 _I guess things are gonna be different now…_ I loomed, looking at our new addition to our circle of besties. _Kind of wish things stayed the way they were… just partners of crime. Of course, that would never get us anywhere good. Maybe this 'Knights of the Rainbow Heart' group will…_

I grinned, and headed back to them with a new sense of happiness.

* * *

Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

 _Out of all places, I just_ had _to pick the outfitters…_

As they they suited me and adjusted the special outfit, I asked what was the big deal.

The tailor looked up from his handiwork and at me, shocked. "Don't you remember sire? It's your father's birthday! All the maidens and eligible men will be there! The even knights returned from your assignment empty handed so they could perform the Swords' dance."

 _Phew._ I sighed in relief. _They haven't found out that we were hiding in the Wyrd._

"Where have you been all day your highness?" wondered the tailor. "I've been waiting for you for hours now! Surely you didn't go to the festivities in that previous outfit you were wearing! That would be disgraceful!"

"Of course not!" cut in Richard, standing up. "We simply had to go out on bunch of errands. Coming here was actually next on the list!"

Richard crossed off a line on a long scroll with a feathered pen. I don't know where he found all that, but I was gracious he cut in when he did. I wasn't that great at making excuses on the fly. While the tailor's back was turned to Richard, he winked at me and gave a thumbs up. I would have to thank him later on.

"Do you think the knights and everyone else who heard would forget about that man hunt of mine?" I dared to ask.

The tailor looked up at me. "Certainly not! It's the talk of Avalon! Plus, from previous experiences, I know a knight never forgets..."

I raised a brow. _What did he mean by 'a knight never forgets'? Well, I guess I can't undo what happened anymore. They now have a reason to hate me, and that is not good especially for a monarch starting out. If only I could go back in time and change things..._

* * *

Richard's P.O.V.

* * *

After an hour of making adjustments, the tailor finally finished Prince Artorius' outfit. It was stunning with a royal blue tunic and pants, and gold tights and sleeves. All that was missing was his crown. It wasn't until now that I realized he never brought it with him!

 _This is so not like Prince Artorius… I just can't believe someone can change so much in the blink of an eye!_

I held Artorius' previous clothes as we left the outfitter's without further questioning. I was relieved to be out of there. Though I wasn't so sure now that Artorius was fancily outfitted, whether he should go back to the Wyrd or not. He was definitely not dressed for it.

"Artorius, maybe we should go back to the castle."

"But we can't just leave the others in the Weirwood!"

"And _you_ can't look like you were just out camping there! I'll go in and tell them to come with us. They might not even be noticed in such a huge crowd. You stay here."

"If you say so, though I'm still not sure about all this..."

Dark cumulonimbus clouds hid the cheery bright sun, making the Wyrd seem more ominous than ever. I cautiously went through the gap in the forest, but the others were nowhere to be seen!

 _Must have gone exploring._..

I was about to go back and inform the Prince, when a dark wood nymph came out of thin air and charged towards me! I struggled to let go of its grasp as it started choking me.

"Artorius! Emeric! Edward! John! Lancelot! Someone-" I tried to warn while the nymph grew roots from the ground to hold me in place.

I tried to resist the dark magic keeping me down, but it used more force against me than I could have ever dreamed of! The dark wood nymph floated around me at lightning speed, busy at work to root me underground. It cackled mischievously as its bright green eyes seemed to scan my very soul full of fear.

The tables turned all at once. The sun crawled back out as I looked in dismay, defenseless. I was only a servant after all! I wasn't even a knight in training! A bright sunray reflected off my specs onto the body of the villainous nymph who screeched in agony before dissolving into ashes. The roots that entangled me retreated back into the soil, hopefully, never to come back up again.

 _Huh. I guess_ that's _why shadow nymphs only come out at night…_ I took out a cloth in my pocket to polish my dirtied specs.

 _And I was barely saved by the sun!_ I couldn't believe what had just happened. _Why was that one nymph foolish enough to expose itself to attack me? I'm nothing special…_

"That. Was. Awesome!" cried Lancelot, revealing himself.

"You-you were there the whole time _watching_ me struggle?!" I felt like strangling Lancelot in that moment. "Why in the Wyrd didn't you help me?! I was gonna die!"

"But you didn't," pointed out John, who jumped out of the same bushes.

"What happened here?" panted Edward who appeared seconds later.

"Oh Richard! What hurt you?" worried Emeric who followed Edward and was now scanning the red marks all over me left behind by those roots.

"Hello? Everything a-okay on the other side?" Artorius hollered from a distance. "Don't leave me hanging here guys!"

"I'll explain to everyone what just happened at the King's birthday bash," I promised.

"What! But everyone will stare at us!" Edward bit his nails.

"We'll blend in the crowd," I figured.

"Highly doubt that. We're Avalon's most wanted thanks to the only son of the King that's waiting for us on the other side of that wall! And we're a mess," negotiated Lancelot.

"Hey! He's sorry for that, and we should forgive him," gently reminded Emeric. "And we don't look _that_ bad..."

We went through the hole in the wall single file. Artorius stared at us, unable to keep his mouth shut.

Lancelot started bickering again. "You were saying Emeric?"


	4. A Society of Secrets

_**Ever had that feeling someone's talking behind your back?**_

 _ **I sometimes feel paranoid that people mean worse by cover it up with some sweet compliment or something of that sort. Many may say: "Don't take those insults to heart", but as all things in life, easier said than done. Let's see how the Knights of the Rainbow Heart deal with that. Shall we? ;)**_

* * *

John Hawkwood's P.O.V.

* * *

"Shut your mouth Artorius! We get it! We're a wreck!" I grumbled.

I was distraught. _We_ can't _go anywhere looking like this!_ _We're gonna miss all those yummy desserts they serve!_

"Guess it's back to the tailor's," grouched Artorius, heading back.

"No way!" Richard disagreed. "I can tell very well you don't want to head back there. Besides, we can't have anyone see them like this!"

"Oh! How about that tunnel entrance I was talking about earlier?" Lancelot recalled. "You and Artorius can enter normally, while the rest of us take my way? Meet us at our dorm."

The way he casually said that took me by surprise. Lancelot would always brag that it was his dorm, and his alone, which wasn't necessarily true. Technically, everything that was his was also mine, since we pretty much shared everything. We were almost like twin brothers really, only, sometimes I'd end up believing I was the younger submissive one while he was the dominant leader, though our age said otherwise. I smiled, finally glad to get some recognition. Maybe we'd finally become equals now that we're in this new Knights of the Rainbow Heart...

"I'll get you a change of clothes from our room Edward," Richard offered.

"Get the black outfit with puffy sleeves, silver trim, and shimmering red vest!" specified Edward.

"I think my only change of clothes is still being washed by the maids," blushed Emeric. "I know you have quite the influence Artorius. The maids would definitely listen to you if you asked the to speed things up."

Art didn't question about how we'd get there or details about Emeric's clothes. "Okay! See you then and there!"

Richard and Artorius took the main road back while we shadowed them in the bushes and trees all the way back. As they went through the main entrance, Lancelot and I guided Edward and Emeric around to the back.

"So you dug the whole tunnel Lancelot? You're not pushing aside John's help are you?" Edward wanted to know.

"He's not telling tales this time," I ensured him, kind of disappointed that I wasn't involved until quite recently.

"The foundation of the wall was starting to crumble, so it wasn't as challenging as you think," explained Lancelot. "It was removing the paved stones and a corner of the tiled walls. _That_ was hard."

I let Lancelot jump in the tunnel first. It looked like he was a rabbit going down a rabbit hole, about to travel through time.

"I'll go last." I pushed the others ahead. "Just to make sure you both get through."

Edward started to panic. "We might not make it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just get down there already!"

I pushed the scaredy-cat Edward into the tunnel as he screamed as loud as his lungs could. "HELP!"

"Edward, you're on solid ground!" reassured Emeric, tapping the ground with his feet once I jumped in.

"And there's solid ground surrounding us too!" he stuttered, unnerved.

"Be quiet you too!" hushed Lancelot. "This place echos a lot. If you're too loud, others can hear us from the boys' dormitory!"

They immediately silenced themselves at that and kept moving. We could hear all the commotion of the pages and squires getting dressed. I could hear their arguments on calling dibs on wearing certain garments others intended on displaying themselves.

 _I don't think there's_ ever _been a time when those boys_ weren't _fighting or arguing. Or both._ I shook my head. _I mean, it's not that big a deal! They can take turns. One can wear it for this occasion and another can wear it in the next big event. Simple as that. Works for Lancelot and I._

"Hey E's," I nicknamed Emeric and Edward since their names both started with the same letter.

They both searched for me in the dark. "Huh?"

"That's what I'm calling you both together from now on," I clarified.

"Joy…" I heard Edward grumble. "Nicknames..."

"What is it John?" moved on Emeric.

"Kind of worried if the boys above spot you guys. If worst comes to worse, we might act tough against you. Just remember it's all an act," I forewarned.

"Ooh. I like that idea," corresponded Lancelot. "It'll be just like old times!"

"The 'old times', as you call it, were only moments earlier today," prompt Edward. "Let's try and avoid that situation at all cost."

"Ugh. Fine."

We finally made it up to our room safely. While the E's sat in a corner whispering to each other with their backs turned, Lancelot and I got changed. Unexpectedly, someone started banging at the door.

I immediately tensed up. _Uh oh…_ _This could mean the end of us..._

* * *

Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

Richard guided me towards the laundry room since I wasn't exactly certain where it was. Hey, it's a big castle! He kept going after pointing it out to me. Once I entered the room, all the maids gasped in surprise at my sudden appearance, here out of all places. They all immediately went on their knees to bow. I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, not that I was getting the attention I've always yearned for, but that I was finally getting to know my surroundings better.

I wanted to start anew starting with courtesy. "Greetings my ladies. Do you know where my close servant Emeric's clothes are at?"

There was a murmur within the crowd of women, all varying from young to old. I think one or two of them that were far beyond my clear eyesight actually fainted. I knew this was not the Prince Artorius they were used to, but I had to start somewhere. There were already men against me, so the only way I could possibly keep them settled down is through the opposing liking of the women. I just hoped it would work.

"They're at the bottom of the large pile there, your Grace." A young woman pointed towards a huge pile of clothes and avoided my eye contact.

I knew it was custom not to look directly at the king, queen, or their heirs. It would be considered an insult. However, instead of basking in that glory, it make me feel distant and isolated from everyone else. I went up to the woman who pointed at the large pile of clothing. I could feel the pressure that all eyes were on me, but hers. She covered her eyes as I got closer.

I looked up at her. "You can look at me mam. I'm just a ten year old boy."

Everyone gasped at that. I ignored them.

"Would you mind doing me a favor and wash Emeric's set of clothes as soon as possible? I'll meet you outside the boys' dormitory with the clean clothes once you're done."

I left the large room full of puzzled whispers. Hopefully, that maid would do as I asked.

* * *

Richard's P.O.V.

* * *

I rushed down the hall.

 _Gotta hurry, gotta hurry, gotta hurry!_

I was only a turn away from the servants' enormous dormitory, when two knights appeared walking my direction!

 _Gotta hide, gotta hide, gotta hide!_

I turned around, panicking. I found a good hiding spot behind a gigantic, pearl-colored vase. The clash of their armor against the marble floor got louder every clank.

"I can't believe that to-be King of Avalon ordered us to wake up in the middle of the night to search for one boy!" complained one of them. "I mean, he's awful young to give such orders, that brat..."

The second agreed. "Certainly. The nerve he had to summon us like that so late! If that brat is gonna be our future ruler, he better get his act together, otherwise this will be the end of him..."

"How's your squire doing?" inquired the first knight, changing the topic. "I hear he's the most cunning of the lot!"

"Indeed he is," boasted the second. "He'd make the perfect ruler if only that spot weren't already reserved… How about yours? Is he still a strong ally to my squire?"

"But of course!" exclaimed the first automatically. "He's the strongest supporters of them all! Figuratively speaking and literally."

I waited for their footsteps and conversation about their squires to fade away. After I saw them taking a turn down the hall, I immediately hurried to the servants' dormitory and grabbed the set of clothes Edward requested that were neatly folded on a chair in our dorm. I changed my ruined clothes as quickly as I could.

 _Artorius wasn't exaggerating that all generations of knights are now against him…_ I puffed as I ran back to the boys' dormitory. _Those two knights were covering up something big with all that sweet talk. It's probably a plot against Artorius after bossing them around! They must have sensed I was around spying on them… but how?_


	5. Bullying Boys

_**Who doesn't like bullies? Of course no does. But that's the sad reality. Bullying can come in differents forms: physical, verbal, and even the new cyber-bullying with all the new technology nowadays.**_

 _ **To those victims out there, this what's going on in this chapter probably nothing new to you. Just realize you're not the only one out there, and friends are there. Just stay strong and move on, or, read this to distract yourself.**_

 _ **Remember, the victims are the true heroes to look up to ;)**_

* * *

Edward's P.O.V.

* * *

 _Oh no! Those other boys are gonna pound me if these two don't first!_

Emeric jumped back into the tunnel we came in and Lancelot covered it up with tiles and a huge stone pavement. I'm not certain whether he didn't realize I didn't jump in with Emeric or whether he left me out intentionally simply to make me lose my nerves! He turned to me, and hung me by a hook on the wall by my collar.

"Hey!" I retched. "Why you evil little-"

He put his finger in front of his mouth and winked. It was then I remembered it was all just an act. I hope.

John opened the door. "Hey Sir Adriano BattleSoul! Look who we just found about to spoil our plans!"

A squire with straight black hair, neon green eyes with tiny irises, parchment skin, and a sly smile entered the room. "So. You really thought you could get away from our grasps huh? Well, your prince charming isn't here to fight for you this time… princess."

"You don't have to hurt Edward, Sir Adriano." Lancelot was punching his hand. "Look what we did to him!"

He came closer to analyze the terrible state I was in. My servant clothes were all muddy and torn from some thorns in the Wyrd, and my black hair was probably as wild as Emeric's always was. His eyes glowed as he stared into my black ones. I don't know why, but for a second, I thought I saw something familiar in them...

Suddenly, I heard some movement in the corner. Emeric was trying to escape! John went straight to the corner and sat on the pavement stone blocking the secret passageway so it wouldn't budge. Sir Adriano BattleSoul abruptly turned his head to see John sitting on the ground giving a fake smile.

He looked back at me hanging on a hook, not seeming to suspect a thing. "Hmm… Not bad boys. Whatcha do?"

"Easy. Use a catapult to make him fly over the wall into the Wyrd," pretended Lancelot. "There was a protective barrier that made him fall back into a thornbush on our side though. Still, it was quite the sight to see."

"Why didn't I ever think of doing that?! Genius!" he laughed, patting Lancelot in congratulations. "Well, I'll let you two finish him off for me since you too know the protocol."

He saluted John and Lancelot before leaving. John closed the door behind him then slid down it in relief. Meanwhile, Emeric started attempting to lift the pavement stone again. John sighed then went to help Emeric out.

"Hello? Did you forget about me? Get me off this hook! I'm not a hanger of clothes!" I fussed.

"Woah! What happened?" asked Emeric who helped me down once he climbed out of the hole. "Don't tell me. Sir Adriano BattleSoul dropped by? He really needs to learn about privacy."

"Why do you guys call him 'Sir' Adriano? He's only a squire," I pointed out.

"Unless you want to suffer the consequences of not calling him by his future title, we all call him that," alerted John. "The knight he serves is probably the most suspiciously strong knight there ever was! Don't mess with either of them."

 _Then why did his glare look like something I'm accustomed to when this is probably the first time I've really seen him eye to eye?_ _Something big's going on here…_

* * *

Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

 _What is keeping that maid so long?!_

I paced anxiously back and forth outside the laundry room. I knew I intended to meet her outside the boys' dormitory, but now, I wanted to avoid that place as much as possible. Aside from us Knights of the Rainbow Heart, the rest of the boys weren't exactly friendly…

I couldn't help but smile thinking about our new group of friends before panicking about the other boys once more. Sure I handled them once, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle them again on my own. I caught them off guard then, but they might expect me now. I would need back up.

"Hey! What are you still doing here?" panted Richard, heading my way with Edward's change of clothes.

"Waiting for Emeric's clothes to get clean."

"You won't believe what I overheard!" From the worried look on Richard's face, I assumed it wasn't good.

And it wasn't. Richard whispered out of earshot from anyone possibly spying on us the conversation he listened to about two knights. My face ended up matching his. This wasn't good.

"Your Highness, those clothes you asked for?" curtsied the woman I was expecting.

"Oh! Thanks a bunch!" I handed her two gold coins in my pocket.

"But, I couldn't! I already get a monthly salary. Though it is really low at the moment since our economy is failing. I don't know how I'll support my twin babies..."

I opened her hand, placed the two gold coins in them, then closed it. "Please keep it. It's a token of my gratitude."

The maid blushed happily, then scurried back in the laundry room to squeal out the latest news. Hopefully, this rumor would go farther than the last.

* * *

Richard's P.O.V.

* * *

I gave Artorius two thumbs up. He smiled in return. I was starting to like this new Prince Artorius. We hurried back to the boys' dormitory. I prevented Artorius from barging in. A second later, the huge doors slammed open in our faces. All the squires and pages ran out towards the ballroom. I rubbed my nose.

 _About time._ _They're supposed to get ready to serve the guests coming tonight for the King's birthday bash._

I checked on Artorius who pushed the door away from us once the boys all disappeared. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I've gone through worse."

We cautiously entered the dormitory. Thankfully, no one else seemed to be around. I gently knocked on John and Lancelot's door. The sound of panic and craziness came from inside. John hesitantly opened the squeaky door. He sighed in relief realizing it was only us.

"False alarm guys. It's just Rich and Art," announced John.

Artorius nudged me. "Hey, looks like you've got a new nickname now 'Rich'."

I smiled. "And for once, it's not an insulting one."

John opened the door wide to show the chaos inside their room. It was a mess! Lancelot went to a corner where a floor tile seemed to be moving. Once he cleared the area out, he pulled out Emeric from what seemed to be a deep hole. Meanwhile, Edward was taken down from the hook by John.

"I can't believe you hung me there. Again!" complained Edward. "Second time today!"

Emeric shook out the dirt and dust from his messy hair with his hands. "I'm just glad it wasn't Sir Adriano BattleSoul knocking again."

After handing them their change of clothes, Emeric and Edward changed quickly in their own corners while we weren't looking.

"Sir Adriano BattleSoul?" mused Artorius in the meantime. "Never heard of him."

I shivered at the mentioning of his name. "He's the worst of them all! He always picks on me when he has the chance."

"He's the boss of bullies," labeled Lancelot.

"Hold up," I paused. "You all use word 'bully' as well?! I thought I just made that up!"

"Well, that's a weird. I've been using the term since forever!" claimed John.

"Same goes for me," revealed Emeric.

Edward rubbed his head. "This is uncanny! That term occasionally rings in my head whenever people are mistreating me."

We all turned to Artorius whose amber eyes were deep in thought. "It does sound familiar… Though I don't think anyone aside from us uses it. I mean, most see it as dominance or being strict or firm."

I scanned over all pages of information from the ancient scrolls and dusty books I kept in my head. "I haven't seen the term bullying or bullies in books, so I thought it was just a random thing that came into mind. It would be cool if we made up new words into the dated vocabulary."

Emeric frowned. "Well, those words aren't exactly encouraging..."

"Aha! I knew you two were hiding something!" declared a voice I dreaded to hear from behind. "Boy are you six in for it..."


	6. Turning the Tables

_**This is the chapter you've all been waiting for: the first real battle scene of action! ;D (if you omit the Humongo Frog incident) Hope you feel the thrill of it all as thrilling as it was for me to write it! :)**_

 _ **Let me know in this chapter's reviews if you want more chase scenes, or action like this. :)**_

* * *

Emeric's P.O.V.

* * *

I internally groaned. _Of course Sir Adriano BattleSoul was eavesdropping._ _We shouldn't have kept our guard down._

"And the Prince says you were hanged, ha!" glowered Sir Adriano BattleSoul pointing at me. "Wait until I tell everyone how much a liar he really is to all of Avalon!"

Artorius was genuinely shocked. "I'm guessing _this_ is the great Sir Adriano BattleSoul you guys were talking about..."

"Should we declare our team name before making a great escape?" John pictured heroically.

"You guys have a name for your new friendship circle?" mocked Sir Adriano. "I bet it's a terrible one."

"Let's keep that part a secret." Lancelot winked at us, which made Adriano's cheeks turn red with anger being left out.

"Yeah. And let's just get straight to the great escape part!" Richard ran out of the dorm and the dormitory the fastest I've ever seen him run.

"Right behind you!" followed Edward almost immediately.

I grabbed the shiny red vest Edward left behind and put on mine running away with the others. I threw Edward's vest to him as we took our first turn down the hall.

"Thanks! Can't believe I forgot that." He gratefully buttoned his vest up while we stayed on the run.

"This way!" guided Artorius. "He'll lose us in the crowd in the ballroom!"

"But it's still afternoon!" Richard reminded, huffing. "The party isn't until after sundown!"

Artorius slammed the ballroom doors open, revealing a huge crowd staring at us.

He was the only one that was still able to speak. "Think again."

* * *

Lancelot's P.O.V.

* * *

We all had looks of horror on our faces except for Art. He must have been accustomed to this kind of attention.

"You six got a lot of explaining to do!" demanded Sir Adriano who was right behind us. "Squires! Pages! Get them!"

We all split up except for John and I, who had our backs facing each other, surrounded by a circle of recognizable faces. Emeric dived straight under a dining table, probably so he wouldn't be seen after being rumored 'dead'. Rich and Edward blended into the crowd of people running away from the dance floor, while Art must have gone looking for his father. I positioned myself into a wrestling stance. I knew these boys. They wouldn't listen to rhyme or reason. They would only fight until they got what they wanted.

John tried anyways. "Do you guys even know _why_ you're fighting against us? We're part of the group!"

They all stood there puzzled for a moment, until Sir Adriano attempted punching me. I barely dodged it. He ended up punching another squire instead.

"Enough with the talking! Get them already!" he screeched, taking that squire's place.

Now John matched my wrestling stance. We were ready to fight against injustice. Together.

* * *

Richard's P.O.V.

* * *

At least half a dozen of squires and pages pursued me into the crowd of panicking people.

 _So_ this _is what it's like to crash a party,_ I humored, trying to stay optimistic though I was probably gonna be a dead man before even becoming one.

I apprehensively looked around at my surroundings. The bright, colored stained glass emitted gorgeous colors in the room.

 _That's it!_ _If I can reflect that colored light in their eyes with my glasses like I did with that wood nymph earlier, I could probably blind them permanently!_ _If not, at least temporarily impair their vision. Let them get a taste on what it's like to have blurry vision._

I ran straight to the nearest stained glass window. It had five symbols each in different shape and color all pointing at a stunningly detailed crown in the centre. I removed the glasses off my face, and held them as high in the air as I could.

"He's going to reflect a rainbow with his glasses at us!" warned one of my pursuers before covering his eyes in vain.

"Ah! My eyes!" yowled a page.

"It's pretty but it hurts!" weeped a squire.

They all backed away from me, at least temporarily blinded. I put my glasses back on to make sure they weren't coming after me anymore.

"Not as helpless as you thought I was, huh?" I ridiculed, standing proud with my fists on my hips.

I took a moment to look around the chaotic ballroom.

 _Now find and help the others…_

* * *

Edward's P.O.V.

* * *

I ended up circling that squire named Boulder near the buffet tables. John and Lancelot were surrounded, Richard running for his life, Artorius running up to the throne to meet up with the King, and Emeric was nowhere in plain sight.

 _Guess it's time to show off what I've been training for…_

I glared darkly at Boulder, though he was a head taller than me.

"Come here and get smashed into pebbles," Boulder threatened.

I kept circling him. "Nice catch phrase. But I'm afraid that's not gonna happen..."

He immediately tried ramming me, but I dodged at the last second. He ended up bumping into the refreshments table. Emeric was cowardly hiding underneath, then he scurried off under the next nearest table. All the guests that were taking refuge behind the tables ran away as well, though not as fast as Emeric who could have been easily missed if you weren't paying attention.

Boulder was enraged. He swept his left foot like a bull. I took off my red vest and waved it beside me. Once he charged into my vest, I let him keep it. It covered his face as he kept running. Before he could stop himself, he stampeded into the pile of barrels of wines and beers instead. The barrels exploded, leaving a bubbling wet mess all over the ground and splinters all over Boulder.

I winced. _There goes all my salary…_ _Gotta admit it though. That's pretty funny._

A familiar guffawing came from behind me. I turned around to see Richard laughing at the scene. Boulder seemed pretty staggered and drunk, for a lack of a better word.

"That. Was. Hilarious!" Richard made out between giggles.

From the corner of my mouth came a smile. Little did I know that a squire was about to attack me from behind! Richard acted fast. He took off his glasses and aimed its colorful beam of light from the stained glass window to my attacker. The squire backed away before I could fight him.

"Aw come on Richard!" I whinged. "That guy was mine!"

Richard rolled his eyes after putting his glasses back on. "That's so like you Edward. Couldn't you at least say 'nice new signature move' or something? I just saved you from future possible backache!"

"No time for thank you's right now," I pressed on, trying to strategize on what to do next. "We've got to help out the other Knights of of Painful, Terrifying, Excruciating Death. We're outnumbered big time!"

"You mean the Knights of the Rainbow Heart," Richard corrected. "Sure. I can't wait to show them my newest defense mechanism! I think it suits the Knights of the Rainbow Heart name perfectly."

I rolled my eyes. We headed straight to the wall of squires and pages in a circle formation. Hopefully, we wouldn't be too late.


	7. Putting up a Fight

_**Let me guess what you're all thinking:**_

 **Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!**

 _ **Am I psychic or what? XD**_

 _ **Face it. I'm betting you're all thinking that after being riled up last chapter. So, okay. More fighting. Fine. Here you guys go :P**_

* * *

Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

 _I have to get to the King!_ _He's gonna hate me for bringing this chaos upon his birthday…_

I found him hiding in the kitchen along with a bunch of panicking servants.

"Don't worry!" he tried to reassure everyone, though he seemed quite distressed himself. "We are _not_ under a siege!"

When he spotted me, he immediately pointed accusingly at me. "My son has all the answers to your questions!"

I groaned as a flood of questions were fired at me.

 _So much for talking to him alone…_

I had it.

"Silence!"

Everyone froze.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "Your Majesty, may I have a word with you in private?"

"Certainly." He glared at all the servants who would possibly try and overhear us.

We went into another room. He slammed the door behind him.

 _Guess that's where my temper comes from… I_ don't _want to be like that when I grow up…_

The King flared up and bombarded me with more questions than all the servants combined. "Why did you interrupt such a peaceful party?! How dare you intrude in such a manner?! We've raised you better than this! And I thought you hanged that good for nothing servant of yours!"

"Your highness, that was just a terrible rumor. When I found out how mistreated he was, everyone ganged up on me, him, and our new group of friends! He deserves a room to himself so he can feel at peace. But it's probably best to keep that rumor of him dead that way, so he won't be pestered as much."

My father kept steaming. "Friends?! Royals do not have friends! They are a sign of weakness. The closest a king can get to friends are allies. And there is no way you can hide a boy when he was clearly seen as you and your new group of 'friends' entered the ballroom. Too many eye witnesses. Good Gracious Artorius! Must I send you to Grizzleheim like I did to your brother and never allow you to return?!"

I shivered. My older brother, Valgard, was shipped to Grizzleheim after leading a rebellion against our father. What exactly was the cause, no one remembered but the King, who never shared that piece of information with anyone, not even his wife or me, his only son he had left. All the King would reveal about it was through threats of doing the same with me if I didn't behave. I wondered where my long lost brother Valgard was now...

I lowered my head guiltily. "I'm sorry to have caused this on your birthday of all days."

"Well, you should be!" pouted the King, his back turned to me.

I felt like our roles reversed. He was acting like a party animal child while I was becoming the reasoning parent.

"I have a plan that will fix this so you can enjoy yourself once more only if you're willing to play a major role in it. You are the the star of the party after all," I flattered.

He glanced at me, and immediately caved in. "Oh alright. But next time you stir up trouble, I won't help you out."

He kneeled down so I whispered my plan in the King's ear.

He immediately grinned. "Not a bad idea… Lead on!"

* * *

John's P.O.V.

* * *

"Well Lancelot, let's fight together until the very end," I proposed heroically. "We may no longer be partners in crime, but from now on, we're gonna fight it together for what's right."

Lancelot didn't back down from my proposition like he usually would this time. We kept our backs to each other as everyone around us gave us threatening looks.

I glanced behind me momentarily to see him nodding determinedly. "Deal."

While I looked back, I felt a shallow sharp scrape on my neck. I immediately snapped my head back to see Sir Adriano BattleSoul with a butchering knife! I felt my neck. It was bleeding a bit, but the cut didn't seem too severe since it didn't hurt, which surprised me considering the weapon of choice. I growled and lunged at him, even though I had no weapons at hand other than my bare fists. I pinned him down, then threw the knife out of the circle. The butchering knife slammed blade first on a table. Though I bet I caused quite a scare within the crowd of guests, staying alive was more important than popularity at the moment.

I tried choking Sir Adriano BattleSoul, but I didn't have too for long because he fainted in my arms after seeing the precise landing of the knife. I honestly didn't realize I could do that... I guess I just got lucky as I always did.

The pages went to carry him away to the nuns while the squires kept fighting Lancelot who was protecting my back. He slid through two of the squires legs, and stole two of their training swords in the process. Those two squires retreated immediately, making the wall of boys thin out a bit more.

Lancelot threw a wooden sword at me. "You'll need this to fight your side."

I caught it just in the nick of time. We fought as best as we could, remembering the very few moves we've learned. I learned the squire's attacking styles rather quickly, then used those moves of theirs against them. Though there was something else at work...

Two more squires ran away from our battle. There stood Edward and Rich both raising training swords in the air. Lancelot and I did the same in acknowledgement.

"To the Knights of the Rainbow Heart!" Rich declared, raising his glasses in his other hand.

Rainbow colors emitted all over the ballroom after the light reflected from his specs. The guests peaked out of their hiding places for a moment, all ooh-ing and aah-ing at the sight. They all started cheering.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Well, if it's a fight the audience wants," delivered Lancelot as he blocked another attack. "Then it's a fight they'll get!"

I nodded as the four of us went up against our new enemies for life.

* * *

Emeric's P.O.V.

* * *

 _That was a bad move barging into the ballroom like that._ _I'm not supposed to be seen alive! Everyone thinks I'm dead! What will that make me now?_

I crawled under the tables with white tablecloths marked with gold designs.

 _Maybe I should pack up all my belongings and flee to the Wyrd._ _Not like anyone could find me there, other than the Knights of the Rainbow Heart._

I couldn't help but smile. _Who knows? Maybe if they_ do _come looking for me again, I can allow them through and let them visit me occasionally if that isn't too much trouble for them._

The table I hid under flipped over. That bully Boulder turned it over! Edward stared at me in disgust. I knew it was cowardly to hide, but I had to. If I weren't already suspected dead, I'd be fighting by his side. Sadly, that wasn't the case. I sped straight under next the closest table before Boulder or anyone else for that matter would spot me.

 _Why do fights always start when I'm around?_ _Am I doing something wrong? What does everyone have against me?_

A sharp end of what must have been a knife poked underneath the table right in front of me!

 _Yikes! Gotta be more alert!_ I kept all my senses as focused as possible. _I just wish I could help my friends out in this mess…_

I peeked from underneath the tablecloth. Edward, Richard, Lancelot, and John were now all fighting together in a line against a curve of squires. They were holding off pretty well. In fact, it seemed like they were all learning to improve their fighting skills by imitating the moves of their opponents.

Richard seemed uncomfortable fighting at first, but he picked up rather quickly. From how often he used it, his new signature move seemed to be blinding others by reflecting the rainbow colored light of the stain glass windows with his specs. It was very clever, and it seemed to also reflect the name of our group as well as his intellect.

Edward backed Richard up when he would falter. He was a natural fighter! He's definitely improved since I've first and last seen him practice when I arrived at the palace. He wasn't the best out there, but he had potential. He'd always excused himself to go to his room, but I assumed he would go and secretly practice his fighting skills on his own... wherever that may be. I never dared to follow him to find out though, since I've always secretly feared him a bit since that first encounter.

Lancelot's style of dueling was underhanded like a trickster's. He would attack from behind while John was fighting strong up front, distracting their opponents. That method was extremely effective, though it seemed to exhaust John as he held them back while Lancelot would pick them one at a time. They made a great pair. Maybe they could teach the rest of us some teamwork skills sometime...

 _I can't believe I'm missing out on gaining some experience_.

Aside from becoming a great falconer and hunter, I've always dreamed of becoming a knight. I sighed longingly.

 _If there was only something I could do to help… It's not like I can do much from under this table..._

I snapped my fingers. _That's it!_

Without second guessing, I slowly pushed the table to the centre of the room without making too much noise. Remembering the circumstances I was in, I peeked back to make sure no one noticed. Thankfully, all the guests were hiding behind other tables, statues, and other objects, since the table I hid under was closer to the fighting than all the others. A few things fell off the table, but that was nothing compared to the commotion surrounding me. I noticed some reinforcements coming to join the battle. I stuck my leg out to trip them, then hid. They tumbled in a heap and I knew every second they struggled to untangle themselves was valuable. Once I was finally close enough, I positioned the table behind the curve of opposing squires.

I glimpsed from underneath the tablecloth once more, trying to get my friends' attention. John noticed me waving from below the table, and tried signaling the others to make the squire back into it. I stayed where I was so that my cover wouldn't be blown. I think the others realized what I planned, because the next thing I knew, I felt the rattling and pressure of a bunch of boys rolling over the table and all its contents before collapsing on the other side. I heard my friends laugh victorious, and showed them a thumb's up before hiding under the table once more.

* * *

Edward's P.O.V.

* * *

 _What a rush!_

I high fived the rest of my group. Though I didn't understand how the table advanced itself up to the middle of the ballroom. I looked back at it and caught a glimpse of a hand with its thumb up before it disappeared under the tablecloth.

 _So it was Emeric's doing!_ _He wasn't backing away after all... He just didn't want to blow his cover because Artorius said he was already hanged! How is he gonna escape though? Once those squires regain their consciousness, they'll look under the table!_

And they did. I dreaded to know how this would all end.


	8. Covering Up the Truth

_**Ever told a white lie? I'll admit I have a bunch of times to keep others happy. It isn't easy though because the truth will eventually get uncovered. Yeah, not exactly the most pleasant of experiences…**_

 _ **Anyways, I want your opinions before I post any further. Do you think individual members of the Knights of the Rainbow Heart should be able to keep secrets from each other? Or immediately share and spill the beans after every discovery? If you think some should be able to hide secrets better than others, please specify in the reviews!**_

 _ **Until then, I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

When I came out with the King, I watched in surprise how my new friends handled themselves. They were amazing for boys that lack so much experience! I even spotted Emeric pitching in as he slowly moved the table he hid under to the center of the room. Smart move. I went to congratulate my friends on their first victory in fighting and laughed along with them.

Then I noticed one of the squires was about to discover Emeric! Before I could run and stop him, he found out what was hiding. Shockingly, when he looked up, meaning to tell his fellow squires what he encountered, he seemed dazed! He stared at us before he sagged onto another surprised squire's arms.

 _Emeric must have punched him in the face!_

I stifled a giggle as the rest of the Knights of the Rainbow Heart did. The other squires became suspicious. I knew now was the best time to signal the King. The Knights of the Rainbow Heart inspected me quizzically.

They didn't understand who I was signaling until the King boomed: "Halt!"

Reluctantly, they left the table alone, and looked down guiltily. The rest of the pages and squires returned with Sir Adriano BattleSoul leading the way. Realizing the battle cut short, they all stopped and bowed unwillingly in front of the King. All the guests slowly came out of their hiding places.

"I cannot believe _this_ is the future generation of protectors of Avalon!" bellowed King Arthur. "No maids' service for a week for you lot!"

All the maids cheered while all the squires and pages groaned. It was embarrassing having to do all the housework yourself being a boy. It was a woman's responsibility to maintain cleanliness. So forcing the boys to do so for a week was seven times the punishment.

"Except you five," he pointed at us before my friends could groan as well. "Come here!"

Everyone waited in anticipation to see what punishment we'd have for causing such chaos, though I knew we wouldn't be punished at all. King Arthur guided us into a private room, while the Queen led the festivities back on again.

King Arthur rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Listen. You boys better behave. This is a warning. You're lucky it's my birthday today that I'm going easy on you. Be sure to tell Emeric that too."

"You know about him?!" whispered Rich, shocked. "But how?"

"I told him. I had to in order to ask if we could build a room for him to live comfortably in the palace," I explained, looking up at him hopefully.

He sighed. "Afraid not Artorius. We can't afford expanding the castle."

I lost my patience. "But you can still afford to have feasts and parties!"

"I did it to make us enjoy ourselves."

"Well, do I look like I'm enjoying myself? How can I be happy knowing how unfair people's lives are?! You know what? Forget it. I'm gonna come up with some solution that'll be better than you could ever imagine!"

With that, I stormed out and went straight to my room.

* * *

Lancelot's P.O.V.

* * *

We stood awkwardly in front of his Majesty, King Arthur.

"Um… We'd better check on Prince Artorius," excused Edward as we all followed him out the room.

The entire party paused as we appeared. We avoided eye contact with everyone we passed by. I could feel all the glares they put on us. Contradictorily, some actually patted us on the backs in congratulations, saying we made the whole party worthwhile with that extra bit of action and entertainment. Luckily, all the squires and pages went into their dorms from shame. We all agreed to check on Art before heading to our individual rooms, which none of us looked forward to. We made it to Art's room without further interruptions, except for one.

"Psst!" whispered Emeric from behind a potted plant outside Art's room. "Are you going in too?"

"What are you doing here?" questioned Edward. "Why aren't you in your room?"

Emeric rolled his eyes. "Like I ever had one. It was just a closet with a hay pile. I was able to grab all my belongings before all the boys arrived in the dormitory."

He showed us his leather brown case with the handle and golden buckles.

"You're not running away again… Are you?" worried Rich.

Emeric shrugged. "I don't think I have much of a choice now. I just came to say goodbye to Artorius, search for you guys to do the same, then leave."

"Maybe we can come up with another solution with Art," John suggested. "It'll be a shame not to have you running all over the place from trouble anymore."

He chuckled. "I guess… Let's ask."

After knocking a few times, Art finally spoke up. "Go away!"

Emeric hesitantly opened the door and peeked in.

"Oh. It's you Emeric."

"Not just me," he pulled us all into Art's room. "But the rest of the Knights of the Rainbow Heart!"

John and I have never been _allowed_ to come inside the room of a royal. Last time we entered, it was almost pitch black. We both were amazed to discover how incredible it was inside, all lid up. We've heard rumors of the extravagancy, but being brought inside one was a whole other level!

"Wow..." I couldn't believe I was even allowed in here. "I've never been in a room so spacious! It's incredible!"

John slowly spun around, cranking his head upwards. "This place is huge! How did I not notice from the last time we came in here? We could all live here together!"

Art's eyes twinkled. "Why can't we do that then?"

Live in the same room as the Prince?! I felt like my mind was gonna explode!

"Yes!" I agreed immediately. "No one has to tell me twice that we're gonna be kicked out of the boys' dormitory after what just happened."

"The servants in the servants' dormitory will also question us..." Rich considered.

"I couldn't! I wouldn't! I shouldn't!" stuttered Emeric. "I'm not worthy to even be _friends_ with a prince."

"It's not practical and it's never been heard of!" retorted Edward. "Everyone would be suspicious of us! Not to mention all the maids coming in and out."

Art's face fell. "Oh… Right. I just wished I could stay with you guys as much as I can."

"If only there were a way to make our beds and belongings easy to appear and hide," John dreamed. "Then again, it would take magic to do such a thing..."

"That it!"' exclaimed Emeric. "Magic!"

"Huh? So you _do_ have magic?" I questioned.

Emeric simply laughed good naturedly. "No silly! Maybe we can find some and cultivate it."

"Is such a thing possible?" wondered Art. "I thought only magical beings could do such a thing if anything at all. You'd have to be a wizard like Merle Ambrose to be able to do that. Magic is tricky to handle..."

Emeric winked. "Well, only one way to find out."

"Stop right there Emeric," paused Edward. "It's best not to mess with magic..."

"Says who? Your father?"

"Yes. I mean no! It's just the right thing to do!"

"Face it Ed. That's not very conclusive... Hey! I made up a nickname!" clapped Rich.

"I am _not_ talking to you if any of you call me that," refused Edward.

"Too late! You just did!" I teased. "And how about Em for Emeric?"

Em smiled. "Works for me."

"Well, it _doesn't_ work for me." Ed crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out.

"If you want to learn to be a close group, might as well start with nicknames," John persuaded.

"Yeah! I saw how you all fought in the ballroom, and it was amazing!" believed Art. "I probably don't know much more than you guys do, but if we learn together, we could become unbeatable!"

"Then we could live up to our name!" exclaimed Rich, all excited. "Did you guys see my rainbow reflection move?"

"Who didn't?" Em patted Rich on the back. "I was able to catch a glimpse even from under tables! It was incredible!"

"We've definitely all have potential," Art noticed. "All in favor of training hard to become knights for what's right?"

We all raised our hands.

"Guess it's settled then," confirmed Ed, surprisingly cheery. "As founders of the Knights of the Pain- the Rainbow Heart, we'll pledge our lives to help the unfortunate. Though I think we all fit in that category."

We all agreed. It was decided. We were all to become knights, whether the rest of the Spiral liked it or not.


	9. Sleepover!

**Whoo! Sleepover party! :D :D :D**

 **Well, not exactly in this case, more of a 'hide-from-all-of-Avalon' party, but you get the idea. Let's see how the first ever sleepover in Avalon goes, shall we? ;)**

 **Oh! Before I forget, I'd like to give thanks to a family friend who inspired me to base Lancelot off him! He and my father were best friends since they were both two years old, and they still are now! o: So I think you can guess through this story how their relationship was in real life. xd But that's all in the past now, and even though they both now live across our vast country, they still keep in touch. :)**

 **Anyways, enough about the personal backstories. Time to continue reading this one! ;D**

* * *

Richard's P.O.V.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. Em stayed inside Artorius' room, while the rest of us decided come back to Artorius' room after dinner. We all ate our last meal of the day quickly, and avoided talking to anyone. We pretended to look burdened with a punishment the King never gave us when passing by people. The squires and pages didn't bother torturing us since they were too busy dealing with their own punishments as well as serving platters to the guests at the party. The maids were the only ones that expressed their joy freely. I don't blame them. It would be such a pain to clean after a bunch of mischievous, messy boys non-stop.

Us Knights of the Rainbow Heart skipped attending the party after the ruckus we've caused. Getting more unwanted attention was the last thing we wanted for a secret group like ours. I bought some blank page books for all of us to write in individually after given the suggestion to do so in the Wyrd. Ed and I were the last to enter the Prince's bedroom out of our whole group, bringing Em some food he could munch on. John checked both left and right before silently locking the door behind him after we entered. The others were closing all the drapes and curtains.

"What gives?!" exclaimed Ed.

"I'm secretly having you guys sleep in my room for the night," explained Artorius in whispers.

"Awesome!" I squealed in the dark, dropping my untampered books.

"Shush! We don't want anyone hearing us," hushed Em, lighting up candles scattered all over the room, then graciously accepting the food we got him.

"Problem is, we don't have beds or proper clothes to sleep in," pointed out John.

"I can lay out some sheets and extra pillows from my bed onto the carpet," offered Artorius. "I don't know why I have so many. Oh! And you guys can borrow some of my nightgowns. Sorry if they don't fit perfectly."

"Really?! Thanks!" Lancelot immediately chose one and changed into it, throwing his other clothes aside.

John gave Art an indecipherable look. "You do realize you're never gonna get them back right?"

Artorius laughed. "No worries. I've got too many that they'll go unnoticed if you keep one each. Feel free to help yourself."

John and I went in the closet to chose some royal robes as well. I couldn't pass down an opportunity to wear royal clothes like this! Ed and Em however, stayed in place.

"This is wrong..." hesitated Ed, before finally giving in.

"Thanks, but I can't," refused Em, though his longing gazes at each other's sleeping gowns proved otherwise. "I'm used to sleeping in my day's clothes."

"Suit yourself," shrugged Lancelot, admiring himself through a gigantic mirror. "But you're missing out."

We helped Artorius spread out his extra covers and pillows on the huge ornate carpet. Ed and I shared one blanket, while Lancelot and John shared another. Em used the old blanket from his tiny room.

"I'm fine," he kept assuring us. "I've had to live with way worse."

Artorius got an idea. "I should get the maids to clean that cover like I did with your clothes!"

"No way!" protested Em, holding onto the ends of his blanket tightly. "They might end up recognizing it!"

"This is hard to believe, but I think you're being even more paranoid that I am in this case," intervened Ed. "That blanket needs repairs!"

I sighed. "I just wish we could all have beds here and sleep soundly without worrying about a thing."

"We can if we find the right magic," Em believed.

"Right magic? Why do you keep bringing that up and insisting on it? Are you an expert in magic or something?" questioned John. "You sure you're not a wizard of some sort?"

Em shrugged. "All I know is that there's bright magic, and dark magic. Don't know much than that."

"I think I remember Merle Ambrose once telling me about the elemental schools," remembered Artorius after a brief pause of silence. "He says there might be more schools of magic. Still a theory in progress."

"Whoa! You see _the_ Merle Ambrose on a regular basis?!" I gasped. "Epic! Can you introduce me to him someday? He secludes himself from everyone!"

Artorius laughed at my enthusiasm while Ed poked me annoyingly. "Aren't you forgetting the exception?"

I couldn't remember. "What exception?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "The royal family members are the only ones privileged to see him face to face."

I slumped at that. "Oh..."

"I'd be willing to sneak you all his tower someday," winked Artorius. "But we'd need some kind of magical excuse or problem for him to solve..."

We all sat in deep thought for a bit before Lancelot broke the silence. "Wouldn't it be cool if we could each possessed something magical? Mine would be a weapon of some sort. I can't decide which kind though..."

"Mine would be a helmet I could see clearly in without wearing glasses," I dreamed.

"Ooh! I'd love a one of-a-kind sword!" piped up Em.

"Something that could guide me on the right path would be nice," Artorius visualized.

"Maybe a shield? I honestly don't know what I'd have," confessed John.

"Neither do I. Lancelot, this is rubbish!" spat Ed.

"Lighten up Ed!" shot back Lancelot teasingly. "It's all make-believe."

"I don't know about you guys, but I think we're destined for greatness," fancied Em. "Who knows. We could become legendary and someday have everything we've ever dreamed of!"

"Highly unlikely," put down Ed.

"Well, even the greatest of heroes start somewhere," I remembered from the many tales I've read. "We can start little, then who knows how far we'll go!"

"We need a trustworthy teacher though..." reviewed Artorius. "I doubt any knights around here are willing to do so. They'd most likely turn on us."

"So is that what we're doing tomorrow?" inquired John. "Search for a worthy teacher for some future worthy knights?"

"That'll be hard though. Considering we're the talk of Avalon at the moment," pointed out Ed. "We should have code names."

"Or address each other with our new nicknames," encouraged Lancelot. "But I need a code name. Even I have problems trying to find myself a suitable nickname."

"What about Lance?" I suggested.

"Already thought of that. As cool as it would be named after jousting weapon, I'd most likely get teased by getting mixed up with one. People would say, 'Hey Lance! Get the Lance for me will ya?'" Lancelot looked down and shook his head before looking up once more. "How about you guys call me Lawry if necessary?"

"Why Lawry of all names?" Artorius inquired.

Lancelot smirked. "I have my reasons..."

"Can I call you that from now on Lawry?" asked Em.

Lancelot's smirk turned into a smile... but there seemed to be a hint of pain and sadness to it. "Sure."

John stuck his tongue out, immediately lightening up the mood. "What does that make me? Johnny?"

"I'm calling you that from now on!" teased Em. "Pay back or all the times you've mocked me!"

* * *

John's P.O.V.

* * *

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

 _Great... Just great. Of course Em's gonna call me that from now on. Why did I even bring it up? But I guess I kind of deserve it… I lost track on how times I've ridiculed him, so I guess it's only fair. It just seems so out of character for Em to be so teasing… Then again, I should know better after he scared me out of my wit in the Wyrd._

"Anything else you have in mind?" Rich asked, ignoring Em's snide comment and breaking me from my deliberation. "You don't seem to like that name..."

I honestly _didn't_ like that name. It reminded me too much of my past. I was the youngest in the family, so I'd always get the hand-me-downs. I hated it. Having two older brothers wasn't exactly as fun as I initially imagined either. They'd always call me Johnny in a mocking tone. They played around with me exactly how Lancelot and I used to mistreat others. I realized now that if I did the same to others, it didn't make me feel better at all. It only made me feel guilty because in reality, I was continuing the chain of bullying. I was glad I could finally break free from them. I raised my head. I knew the perfect cover up name. It was like Lawry for Lancelot. Though I've never heard him mention the name before. It just came out of the blue. He masterly covered up his feelings, but I could tell they were there. I'm sure it had a deep meaning behind it, and the name I was about to call out had a lot of significance to me.

"I don't like Johnny. I wouldn't mind Johnathan though."

"Sounds good," smiled Em after seeming concerned for a minute from my silence. "I'm still calling you Johnny though."

I groaned.

 _Well, I tried..._

"Also, can we also explore Dun Dara tomorrow?"

"Dun Dara?!"

"Why in King Arthur's name would you want to go there Em?!" cussed Art.

"Well, I think we'd find some interesting artifacts there," he postulated. "Plus, if you want magic, that's probably a good place to start."

"More like end!" contradicted Ed. "Haven't you heard? That place was taken over by dark magical beings!"

"It's not like they're any more optimistic than you," Em compared. "To be honest, I think you could be their ruler!"

"Pff. Please. I have no interest in magic! I mean, yeah sure. It's fun to believe and fear, but how could I control dark forces?!"

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you were their king," I scoffed. "Out of all people, you'd probably be best for the job. I mean, you're so strict and disciplinary, and you take things too seriously Ed."

"Stop calling me that!" yelled Ed, before he covered his mouth. "Oops. Someone might have heard me..."

We pressed our ears against the door and heard nothing. Quietly, Rich picked up the books he dropped earlier and passed them around. Art received a book with a cover all gold, while Ed's was black with silver borders. Lancelot's was red with copper corners, while one he gave me was white. Rich's was cornflower blue with silver designs like Ed's. For some reason, Em didn't get one.

"What's this for?" Art asked.

"Yeah! You want us to read? Because there's no words in the pages," remarked Lancelot.

"And that's up to you to fill," wisecracked Rich.

"Oh! That's why you didn't give me one!" Em took out his personal nature notebook as a demo.

I opened my all white book to find no words inside. "We're actually doing this? I thought that was just crazy talk!"

Ed yawned. "Richard is always serious when it comes to books."

I flipped through the hundreds of blank pages. What in all of knighthood would I write in them? I didn't want to make a mistake or write something I'd later regret. I noticed Art in his bed already with a feathered quill and some ink at his bedtable. He must have been serious when it came to writing an autobiography about himself. In fact, it seemed like everyone had settled down to write in their books. I walked around to see what everyone was doing, just to get some ideas. Ed was drawing some weird maps, like they were floor plans or battle tactics. He shut his book when he realized I was watching from behind, giving me the cold shoulder. So, I moved on. I got the same results from Rich and Art. Rich seemed to have already filled the first ten pages! I looked over Em's shoulder, and I watched him finish up his page on humongo frogs before he slammed his book shut as well in front of my eyes.

"Aren't you gonna work on yours?" he questioned, looking up at me.

I shrugged. "Don't know what to jot down."

"Write an adventure story like me!" suggested Lancelot. "I'm not that great at writing, but I'm definitely noting down the adventure of today!"

"Hey! I was doing that!" argued Rich.

 _I guess any kind of book adventure themed is out of the question for me..._

They kept bickering until we heard footsteps clatter in the hallway. They immediately ceased their quarreling. We anxiously waited until we could no longer hear them.

"It must be late," settled Rich. "We should all get some rest. Maybe we can all go hunting tomorrow in the Wild instead of exploring Dun Dara."

Em's face lit up. "Ooh! That's my specialty! Can't wait!"

"Me too. I love hunting for sport," grinned Art.

"Well, see you all in the morning then," I yawned.

We all said goodnight to each other before we all fell asleep.


	10. The Secret Chamber

_**Another chapter is out! Yay! :D**_

 _ **I'd like to give credit to my sister and her friends for inspiring me to add them into this story as the maids of Prince Artorius. Seeing how they always resolve their problems and stick together even after long held grudges and difficult changes is amazing to watch as their friendship flourishes.**_

 _ **After you read this chapter, would you readers like to hear these maids get more involved into this story instead of being a one time thing? Let me know in the Reviews or through MP.**_

 _ **Thank my sister for creating the last names of the maids that suit her friends most! :) She's currently into the**_ _ **Warrior's Series**_ _**so that's why the names sound a bit like the ones of the cats in that series.**_

 _ **Anyways, enough about other books. It's time for you to read this one! ;D**_

* * *

Edward's P.O.V.

* * *

The banging on the door woke Richard, John, Artorius, and me up.

"Prince Artorius! Room service!" announced a maid from outside.

"We've let you sleep all morning!" cried another maid. "Unlock your doors this instant!"

We threw all the covers on the ground back on the bed. I removed the pillows and covers Lancelot and Emeric clinged onto.

"Brr," chattered Lancelot. "Is it always this cold in the morning?"

"Hey! My blanket!" yelped Emeric.

"Just leave it behind, and bring your suitcase or whatever you call it with you!" I snapped. "We've got to hide!"

"Go to the back of my closet!" pointed Artorius. "It's really deep. Keep quiet until I find you."

We followed his instructions and crammed ourselves into the back corner of the closet. Suddenly, the wall flipped!

 _What's going on?!_ _Did Artorius know about this? He should have warned us! Where does this lead to?_

* * *

Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

I closed the closet doors then allowed the five maids waiting outside to enter.

"Your Highness! What happened here?!" exclaimed one of the maids. "Did someone try to assassinate you?!"

One of them analyzed the state of chaotic my bed while another hung all the hangers that my friends tugged down last night from trying some of my clothes. I just hoped she wouldn't notice them in there. Thankfully, she didn't seem to have noticed anything unusual aside from disorder.

"No no," I assured them, about to make up a story. "I was just kind of upset after the punishment the King gave me..."

They easily bought the story. It was believable since I did have a quick temper, and have done such a thing before.

"What was the punishment?" tried to pry a third maid.

"I'm sure it was just awful!" pitied the fourth. "This is the worst mess I've ever seen you make!"

I bit my lip. "It was pretty bad… He actually considered sending me to Grizzleheim like he did with my brother! I don't really want to talk about the details though..."

The maids stopped questioning me at that. I knew they were the creators of royal gossip since they were constantly around royalty. But I was ashamed to admit that I didn't know the names of these gossipers.

"I'm sorry. But I've never gotten to know your names. What are your names so I can thank you for your services?"

They all stopped cleaning and stared at me in shock. I was pretty sure they had heard of the rumor of me giving extra wages to a maid, but it probably didn't come to them that _they_ would be the next hit by my good deeds.

"We're not worthy of telling your our names your Grace," excused the final maid.

I cross my arms and pouted. "Hey! I'm only ten!"

They all gathered in a circle discussing what I had just said. I was well aware that it was the exact same combat I used for the maid who washed Em's clothes for me. Sure it would make them suspicious that I was up to something, but I wasn't up to anything bad. I just wanted to take a shot at being good for once. They finally lined themselves in front of me to introduce themselves.

"Very well your Majesty. I'm Miranda WinterSky," introduced the maid who cleaned my closet.

"Louise RambleRiver, your Grace," curtsied one who tried to pry me open earlier.

"Elizabeth TigerRose," introduced the maid who made my bed.

"Isabella SwiftBreeze, or Bella for short," greeted the girl who pitied me moments ago.

"I'm Isabelle DawnWing," finally revealed the last maid.

"Or Izzy for short," added Bella.

"Bella! Not in front of the Prince!" hushed Isabelle.

Elizabeth chuckled until Isabelle shot a glare at her. I took a good look at my maids and printed their faces in my brain. They were rather young compared to the others I've seen around. If I didn't know any better, they were probably only twelve year olds! I knew that girls started housekeeping at an early age, but I've spotted these girls in the hallways for as long as I can remember. They waited anxiously for me to react.

"Well then Miranda, Elizabeth, Louise, Bella, and Izzy, thank you for your services. You may be dismissed."

They all blushed and nodded as they exited the room and closed the door behind them. I could hear them all squealing in delight right down the hall from inside my room. I was sure this little act of kindness would go far.

Unexpectedly, Izzy came back in. "Your Majesty, we don't remember laying this blanket on the bed..."

She showed me a ragged blanket. It was Em's! I knew he didn't want it cleaned or repaired, but it seemed like the right thing to do, at least at the time.

"Oh… That. Would you mind doing me the honours of washing and patching it up Izzy?"

She blushed when I addressed her through her nickname. "I'd be happy to oblige your Honor."

"Just call me Artorius," I interposed amicably before dismissing her.

She nodded, noticing something queer was going on before she ran outside to her friends to tell them of her latest encounter with me. I sighed in relief once I could no longer hear them chatting excitedly down the hall. I went straight into my closet to see how the boys were doing, but then I realized they were gone!

* * *

Richard's P.O.V.

* * *

"AHHHH!"

We were all sliding down some type of wooden slide in pitch black darkness! I couldn't even see my hands in front of me! I checked to see if my glasses were still on.

 _Yep. Still there._

I sighed in relief, temporarily calm. But I came back to the panic mode knowing that we were sliding into… I don't know where exactly. We all fell into a heap with me on the bottom in the end. The ground was stone cold.

 _It doesn't feel as cold as stone though…_ I fingered my way like when I'd lose my glasses.

I ended up getting a splinter on my pointer finger. _More like wooden planks!_

I felt with my hands further and used them as my eyes. I detected the bumps of pegs keeping the wooden planks from turning over.

"Guys! Get off me! I need to feel our way out of here!" I wheezed.

Once they did, I heard another voice yell, "HELP!"

Artorius just _had_ to fall on me.

"Ow..." I bellyached. "Anyone else want to fall on me? Do I look like some kind of pillow to land on?!"

"Well, if I could see you, you typically would," commented John before immediately taking it back. "Not in a bad way."

"I think he means you look cute since you're chubby like a baby," Lancelot teased.

I tried slapping Lancelot in the face, but ended up slapping Ed instead. "Ow! Watch it!"

"Where are we?" wondered Artorius.

"You don't know?!"

"Okay. We need light," Em reasoned, trying to stay calm. "Anyone know where the exit is?"

"Hello? I don't think anyone even knew that this place existed!" pointed out John.

"I'll try and feel for a way out," I repeated. "Everyone, hold hands. I'll lead."

"Aw. Why can't I lead?" whined Lancelot.

"Because you didn't think of any ideas," I rationalized pensively.

"He's got a good point there," Ed pointed out.

We made a chain as I felt the walls at a slow pace, trying not to miss a spot. I reached a corner and still haven't found any way out.

"Is there any faster way out here?" worried Artorius. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life here and leave the kingdom without a future ruler!"

I bit my lip. "I'm trying my best. I know in stories, old castles like this one have secret rooms. Where there are secret rooms, there are secret passageways in and out."

"That's in stories," derided Ed. "This is a real life situation here!"

"Ouch! I think I just banged into a corner," Lancelot complained.

"At least we now know this area isn't endless," justified Em optimistically.

"Maybe this _is_ a story," imagined Lancelot, trying to look at the bigger picture.

"Or, it so happens that what adventure writers write are based on true events and locations," John pointed out.

"Or both," tied in Emeric. "Even though we are living the present reality, it is also considered a story of each and everyone of us' personal lives if you look through an omniscient point of view."

"Why didn't I think of that?!" I banged my head against the stone wall.

I was supposed to be the smart guy in the group! Who would I be if I wasn't? After banging my head on a brick, the wall in front of me split open!

"This must be the staircase from my room to my parents!" identified Artorius. "It's one of the few places in the castle I've actually taken regularly."

"You see your parents often Art?" Lancelot questioned. "Wish I could say the same..."

* * *

Lancelot's P.O.V.

* * *

My parents deported me here to learn to become a disciplinary knight.

 _As if that would ever happen…_

It was kind of disappointing since I left them at the age of six. I barely get letters from my parents anymore. I mean, they would remember their only son... Right? They treat me like I don't even exist…

"Lancelot? Did you hear me?" John was waving his hand in front of my face.

"Huh? What?"

John sighed. "The rest went to get some torches or candles to light their way. We're going back in there. Isn't this exciting? We're in for adventure inside a part of the castle no one ever knew about!"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah."

"You alright Lancelot? You don't seem like your usual daring self at the moment..."

"I'm fine. Let's go get some torches." I went ahead while John stared at me, suspicious.

 _It's none of his business,_ I excused to myself. _We all have our problems, and we just have get over them. Now that we're with a new group, things will be different…_


	11. No longer with the 'In' crowd

_**They're back! Who you may ask? The bullies. x. x dun dun dun.**_

 _ **Let's read about their latest encounter. Shall we? ;)**_

* * *

John's P.O.V.

* * *

 _Lancelot hasn't been himself lately…_ _Has this new group of ours really gotten into him?_

In that case, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Being a trickster never really got him anywhere good. Well, it kind of did, but it wasn't necessarily honest and right. I didn't question Lancelot. Sometimes it was best to give him some space. Without exchanging words, we took some torches that weren't lit up since it was daylight. Along the way back, I bumped into a few boys I hoped I'd never face again.

I looked up.

"Well, well, well. Aren't we in for a treat..."

Lancelot's P.O.V.

 _Just when I hoped I'd never have to see these guys again…_ I groaned, looking up at Boulder and Sir Adriano BattleSoul, with a mob of squires and pages trailing behind them.

"Well. It's just the boys I've wanted to see..." hissed Sir Adriano, holding me up by my page collar. "We've got some unfinished business, you and I..."

"Don't you dare threaten him to do anything again Adriano! He's not gonna listen to you anymore! And I won't stand for it either!" John held his torch like a club, and positioned himself in a strong stance.

Everyone was shocked, including me. No one _ever_ called Sir Adriano by just his first name out loud, or dare even _think_ it. Sir Adriano passed me to Boulder's even tighter grip, while he started pounding his fist. Everyone else didn't dare to make a move.

"John..." I choked. "Don't… fight..."

Sir Adriano cackled. "Good advice coming from the last words of your friend Johnny boy. I'll give you another chance since you weren't as involved in his failure this once."

"John! Accept the offer!" cried one of the pages at the far back.

"Yeah! Sir Adriano has never given anyone else a second chance before!" agreed another who was closer.

"And lose my partner and childhood best friend?" John rolled his shoulders back. "Never."

"John… Don't..." I smothered.

"Wish you had your prince charming now didn't you?" teased a squire, coming up to me.

I couldn't tell who exactly since my vision was getting a bit foggy.

"We are not damsels," John replied firmly. "We're the heroes while you're becoming the villains!"

That was the last I heard of him before I fainted suffocating.

* * *

John's P.O.V.

* * *

"Lancelot!" I yelled in horror, as they dropped him onto the stone cold ground.

I dropped my torch and I went up to him, slapping him repeatedly him on the cheek. "Wake up!"

Thankfully, he was still alive, but his breathing was strained. With all these people having seeds for brains, they probably assumed he was dead.

"You murderers!" I accused, grabbing Lancelot's torch. "You followers! I'm not gonna be like you guys anymore. Don't you ever forget that!"

Everyone started slowly backing away, except for Adriano who stood his ground.

"You..." I growled. "I'm through with your orders Adriano!"

Every time I called him after only his first name, he would be taken aback. I now knew his weakness.

"Well then Johnny boy," he mocked. "I guess you're more of a threat than I thought..."

I winced when he called me that once more. I visualized him as my oldest brother when he mocked me in a flash.

 _Who knew calling names hurt so much? There's no way am I continuing this ridiculous power chain._ _This has to stop! And I'm gonna prove to the rest of these boys it's not impossible._

I punched him in the stomach with the torch I used as a bat, portraying him as the ball. My brothers used to do this to me all the time.

 _This is from one bully to another… Here's a taste of what I used to have the deal with!_

Surprisingly, he flung straight into the wall with such force! In a split second, I spotted a semi-transparent rainbow circle spreading out from around Adriano before he collapsed on the stone cold ground like Lancelot. The rainbow circle spread almost at the speed of light and sound, the ground shaking a wave as fast as the rainbow light illuminated and faded. An indent was left behind on the wall.

 _Did I just do that?_

I looked down at my unchanged hands, still gripping on the unlit torch, then around to see matching stunned faces on everyone else who was still conscious, yet shaken. Literally.

 _I didn't know I had that much strength…_

Whatever happened gave me an idea. _That's it! Write in my book phenomenons that don't make sense!_

The pages ran away, while the squires were still in shock. I recuperated before them and lifted Lancelot off the ground.

Lancelot's words echoed in my ears. " **Now's the best time to give him the slip."**

I looked down at him in my arms. He was still unconscious.

 _Am I hearing things now?_

Still, I did as recommended and sprinted straight for towards the monastery with a group of squires on my tail.

 _Now's that worst time to come up with an idea for my blank pages… At least I know what to write next time._

* * *

Artorius' P.O.V.

* * *

I went along with Rich, Em, and Ed. I was still trying to familiarize myself with all these halls and staircases that all looked identical. Apparently, it _wasn't_ the staircase I'd take to my parents' chambers. What could I say? They all looked the same! My fellow friends led the way for me as I tried finding key objects to use as landmarks. There were many old paintings of different knights on these walls, but none that I could identify.

"Who are these guys?" I asked my new friends as I tried to read the inscriptions on the bottom of the frames.

"Beats me," shrugged Em.

"They're all most likely dead by now," stated Ed bluntly. "I've observed all the knights duel in the Outer Yard, and none of them are portrayed here."

"So that's how you learn!" exclaimed Em. "How's your personal training going?"

"Personal training?" cut in Rich. "Ed, what's he talking about?"

Instead of flaring up after being called his new nickname like usual, Ed blushed and walked ahead. "It's nothing really…"

We ran to catch up with him.

"Nothing?! What are you talking about?! Your fighting skills are amazing now compared to when I first saw you!" revealed Em.

"Emeric! How did you know that?!" cried Ed. "You could have at least kept your mouth shut!"

"Is that why you were so tactical when it came to fighting those boys yesterday?" I questioned. "You've been secretly training without consent?"

Ed sighed, then slowly nodded, fearing we'd judge him.

"Why, that's amazing Ed!" applauded Rich. "We should all do that! Wait. We already intended on doing that... Didn't we?"

"Yeah, but now I think we know who our instructor will be..." I winked.

We all looked up at Ed.

"Oh no. I only copy moves and tactics. I don't even know what they're called! We need a professional."

"And who acts more professional than you?" praised Em.

"Well, um..." I could tell he was flattered. "You get the point! I'm not fit for the job! We need someone with experience and knowledge, which I lack."

Rich glasses shimmered in the sunlight that came through one of the arched windows. "Well, where you're weak, I'm strong."

The ground shook. Even though it only lasted for a second, we all felt the impact.

"Did you feel that?" I asked, getting up after I tumbled from the shake.

"I could have been a small earthquake," reasoned Rich. "They're actually rather common living in a floating world like this. A fragment could have fallen into the Spiral."

"But this one felt kind of…" Em tried to think of the right word. "Forced."

I heard the faint sound of footsteps rushing down the hall.

"Do you hear that?" I paused, preventing anyone to walk further.

"Hear what?" asked Rich. "I didn't hear a thing!"

"Is your hearing as bad as your eyesight?" goshed Ed. "I hear it. There's something suspicious going on..."

"I'll spy ahead," planned Em. "I'll give a hand signal if I need back-up."

"No way!" I opposed. "We're a team now! And we've got your back. We're going together."

And so we did. It sounded like they were coming closer. We hid behind some armor displayed in the hallway. Sure enough, we spotted John carrying Lancelot while being pursued by squires!

 _This isn't good… We've got to help them!_

Before I could leap into action, Em oddly positioned his hand in front of his mouth and whistled once the mob of squires were right in front of us! It sounded like high pitched twittering or some kind of warning bird call. We gave him some puzzled and anxious looks. All the squires paused, now weary of their surroundings. They probably suspected a spy just gave a signal. We were bound to be found!

"Now is the worst time for bird calls Emeric!" hissed Ed.

Em winked. "Or is it?"

Now, whenever Em winked, I took that as a sign that he had more planned than meets the eye. Freeing the toads, frogs, or whatever they were, in the Wyrd of all places as John depicted was one instance, and this was another. Soon enough, a flock of songbirds all colors of the rainbow entered through the open window arches! John turned around at the corner of the hall, realizing the squires were no longer following him. He was shocked to discover wild, vibrant colored birds diving and pecking away at the squires. He accidentally dropped Lancelot so he could hold on to his stomach while chortling at the sight.

"Wow! You guys _must_ have seeds for brains if birds want your heads so much!"

The squires scolded at him while trying to shoo away the birds that kept pecking at their heads. We crawled out of our hiding place to join John and check on Lancelot. If he didn't gain consciousness, we'd have to go to see the priests and nuns. If worse comes to worse, he might never come back! Thankfully, that drop must have knocked him back into reality.

"You just had to drop me..." mumbled Lancelot, rubbing his head and now sitting up. "Thanks a lot John..."

John didn't notice Lancelot's sarcasm. "Hey. Anything for a friend."

Lancelot smiled, then started laughing along with us as the squires tried running away from the birds. "Hey. I'm actually glad I woke up in time to see this! This is better than any of my most successful pranks!"

Em and John helped him up, while we all rested our arms on each others' shoulders, laughing as the squires retreated down the hallway. We walked together, arms linked together as a team, into the sunlight. We had a bright future ahead of us.


End file.
